August 03, 2010

Style icon: Caroline of Monaco... plus DIVAS in Lucca

Amanda is still in Lucca, where I went to the brilliant DIVAS photographic exhibition by the (apparently VERY famous) King of Paparazzi (his words not mine) Rino Barillari. He took many of the now familiar 'pap' shots of Sophia Loren, Audrey Hepburn, Anita Ekberg and Brigitte Bardot on the Via Veneto in Rome in the 60s and he appears to be still working today.

One image that I loved was this one of Caroline of Monaco (above), taken in 2008, which looks to me like she has not gone down the cosmetic surgery route and has chosen to age naturally and beautifully.After Jane's recent tweets on how New York ladies are getting a bit carried away with the surgery, I thought this was a fantastically reinforcing image of Leaving Well Alone. Of course it helps that she's so beautiful, but still....

Sadly there is not a book to accompany the exhibition, which is crazy as it would be great inspiration for designers, but a very few of the images are on the exhibition organiser's website LUCCAdigitalPHOTOfest

Some of Mr Barillari's images are here below....if you are near Lucca and love a vintage Diva, I urge you to go.

Sophia in a fabulous crochet suit and that big Italian hair I've been seeing everywhere still in Lucca

Maria Cucinotta, Rome

Audrey, obviously. This image has been used in shop windows here in Lucca to promote the exhibition,